Tsukimi Ayano steps out of her house in the village of Nagoro on Shikoku Island in southern Japan February 24, 2015. Tsukimi Ayano made her first scarecrow 13 years ago to frighten off birds pecking at seeds in her garden. The life-sized straw doll resembled her father, so she made more. Today, the tiny village of Nagoro in southern Japan is teeming with Ayano's hand-sewn creations, frozen in time for a tableau that captures the motions of everyday life. (Photo by Thomas Peter/Reuters)

A man photographs the main engines of the space shuttle orbiter Discovery on display at the Udvar-Hazy Smithsonian National Air and Space Annex Museum in Chantilly, Virginia August 28, 2015. Shuttle Discovery had 27 years of service and flew 39 times before being retired in 2011. (Photo by Gary Cameron/Reuters)

Golden-crowned Kinglets boldly bear their flashy lemon-yellow crest and a black eyebrow stripe. Taking a good look at them might be rather challenging, since they spend most of their time in the dense fir foliage or spruce. However, if you’re patient enough to find them, listen for their shrill, thin song. Though these “little Kings” are only a tad bit larger than a hummingbird, they can survive easily extreme cold by huddling close together. They breed in montane west and the far north and only visit North America during winter.

It's often said that pets and their owners can start to look alike, but these adorable photographs take the old mantra to a new extreme. They are the work of Svetlana Valyiskaya (27), from St Petersburg, who snaps pets in everyday poses in her spare time from her job as a commercial photographer. The vibrant costumes and scenes, which Svetlana designs herself, have made the photos a hit in her native Russia – and it's not hard to see why. She said: “I really love animals, they are loyal, faithful and true and always interesting to work with – plus they never criticise the photographs afterwards”. (Photo by Svetlana Valyiskaya/Mercury)

A man holds on a rope as he tries to board a truck while crossing floodwaters brought by typhoon Koppu that battered Candaba town, Pampanga province, north of Manila October 20, 2015. Typhoon Koppu swept across the northern Philippines killing at least nine people as trees, power lines and walls were toppled and flood waters spread far from riverbeds, but tens of thousands of people were evacuated in time. (Photo by Romeo Ranoco/Reuters)

Eleven-year-old Kelen loves to dance in the half-built rooms of the centre in Kabanga Refuge Centre, Tanzania, 2012. The rescue centres protect albino people from the vicious hunters who sell their body parts to witch doctors. Photojournalist Ana Palacios, 43, visited the centre in Tanzania three times between 2012 and 2016 to find out more about the plight of albino people. (Photo by Ana Palacios/Barcroft Images)

A Muslim woman gets caned 23 strokes after being caught in close proximity with her boyfriend in Banda Aceh on October 17, 2016. Out of seven couples caught spending time together outside marriage, 13 were caned while one girl was spared after it was discovered that she was pregnant. Indonesia's Aceh province has gained international infamy for its strict Islamic laws. (Photo by Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP Photo)

Tippi aged 6 sitting on the back of Linda, a tamed ostrich in South Africa, 1996. Incredible pictures of the real life Mowgli, a girl who spent the first ten years of her life growing up in the African bush, have been released for the first time. The magical images chronicle the life of Tippi Benjamine Okanti Degré, who was brought up with wild animals, just like Rudyard Kipling's hero did in The Jungle Book. (Photo by Sylvie Robert/Barcroft Media)